Team Travis pride

  • Published
  • By Col. Mark Dillon
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Last week, Chief Master Sgt. Mike Williams and I met with legislators and their staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss Travis' mission, annual accomplishments, and required Congressional support to keep Air Mobility Command's largest base operating efficiently and effectively. 

It was easy to be filled with pride as we told your story. As one of 12 AMC bases, in 2008 you fearlessly flew 19 percent of AMCs flying hours, delivered 13 percent of the cargo and off loaded 29 percent of the fuel in the Area of Operations. Meanwhile our medical pros at David Grant USAF Medical Center (the Air Forces second largest medical training facility) saved dozens of lives and treated scores more combat injuries in theater, cared for hundreds of thousands of patients in garrison, and all the while prepared for their first heart surgery next year. The pride arose from your impressive ability to provide this great nation rapid global reach and world class medical care 24/7 despite inherent daily challenges. In order to continue to succeed in light of today's many challenges and myriad mission requirements, our senior leaders have given us some simple, straight forward priorities. This week I will focus on the third AMC priority, the optimization of mobility partnerships. Because as you all know our many and diverse partnerships enable Team Travis to remain "America's First Choice." 

This installation exemplifies total force partnership. For the past 30 years, the 349th Air Mobility Wing, the largest associate reserve wing in the Air Force, has partnered with the 60th AMW. Our long term operations, maintenance, logistics and medical partners from the 349th AMW epitomize the one team, no seam philosophy. Although Travis Air Force Base is not classified as a joint installation, nevertheless scores of soldiers, sailors, marines and coast guardsmen consider Travis home. Soldiers of the 402nd Field Artillery Brigade, sailors of the Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 3, Marines in our Aerial Port and Coastguardsmen who attend our Airman Leadership School make up our joint partners. These joint partners along with the more than 30 interagency, civilian and volunteer organizations also call Travis home. 

Special welcome to one of our newcomers, Balfour Beatty Communities. They have made magnificent progress improving our homes. Old favorites like AAFES and DeCA continue to offer quality, economical merchandise and food while reinvesting their earnings back into Team Travis activities and projects. And we must not forget our installation's neighboring communities - Fairfield, Suisun and Vacaville - which provide force multiplying legislative and patriotic support. 

Henry Ford knew partnership was important as evident by his quote, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." 

While we must continue to seek new partnerships to improve our capability, we mustn't lose focus on those we have already established. General Arthur Lichte, AMC commander, had it right when he gave us this priority ... Because it is clear to this commander that our partnerships enable us to continue to support the warfighter. 

Thanks to all our Team Travis partners. Keep up the great work and thank you for serving this great nation. You are making a huge difference today and for our future.